I have had the privilege of knowing Joyce, the Hillcountry Dollmaker, for a number of years, and more than that, having her warm and lovely creations in my home. When I went looking for a Waldorf doll for my then-2 year old daughter, Joyce made our beautiful, button-jointed, weighted, red headed Sarah. Later, Sunny joined us to help model doll clothes. I can speak from experience to Joyce's skills and service!

Sunny & Sarah

Joyce lives in Texas with her four children. As a homeschooling family, they make creativity a part of their every day learning and family time. Surrounded by the beautiful hill country which gives the shop its name, they have lots of nature to explore with good friends.

It is in this creative life and landscape that Joyce is inspired to make her toys. Having begun making dolls for her own children, she has continued making toys with the special joy of the toymaker in bringing so much happiness to little ones near and far with her creations.

Attention to Detail

Joyce works exclusively in natural materials, with a special place in her heart for wool. Having raised sheep and angora goats in the past, she has a real love for wool's excellent qualities and versatility. Her work with organic bamboo velour is outstanding, too~ be sure to check out her animals and doll clothing made with OBV!

The guiding principle for her shop is the motto "faces you can't resist"~ and looking at her dolls and fantasy creatures, you can see why. Joyce's faces have a very distinct gentleness and appeal~ and she recognizes the importance of these faces in making connections with children and igniting their imaginative spark.

In this new year, Hillcountry Dollmaker hopes to offer more storybook themed dolls and creatures to help connect kids with the wonder of literature and reading. They will be welcome additions to the stand out line up of Waldorf inspired dolls and accessories in the shop ... take a peek at the dolly boat beds and the horses for the Waldorf dolls!

••• The Giveaway •••

Hillcountry Dollmaker is generously offering a 6" Medieval Fairy

to one winner (worldwide shipping included) chosen from the comments made on this blog post.